Thursday, June 22, 2017

Daniel
Blake, a handsome young singer, boards the Atlantic Anthem in
Portugal for the final voyage of her maiden season. The
state-of-the-art ship is the jewel in the Royal Atlantic cruise
fleet. For Daniel, a one-time boy band member and TV talent show
winner, it’s an honor to perform aboard such a vessel. Daniel loves
the freedom and adventure of the sea. He began his solo career as a
cruise ship entertainer and returning to the ocean as a headline act
brings him full circle. He isn’t looking for love.

Neither
is comedian Elijah Mann. Working at sea has given Elijah’s career
the boost it desperately needed. Often considered too good-looking
and sexy to be funny, work has been hard to come by since his TV show
was canceled. With a potential new career opening up, he must remain
focused. But when Elijah meets Daniel the attraction is mutual and
instant. As the ship sets sail for England they have three days to
get to know each other. Elijah can’t let that opportunity pass.

The
voyage home is far from smooth. Also on board is a figure from
Daniel’s past. A man who’s
been holding a grudge for years, waiting for his moment. As a storm
builds in the North Atlantic, Daniel and Elijah discover that the
trip of a lifetime could be their last.

The
taxi collected Daniel Blake from the hotel on time. He liked that.
Punctuality, efficiency and professionalism—three things he valued
in all areas of his career. Be on time and be prepared—that had
been his motto since he was fourteen years old. Fifteen years later,
he continued to live by it.

He
helped the driver load his gear into the trunk. There wasn’t much
of it. When on the road, he traveled light with just a medium-sized
case, a holdall and a suit carrier. He’d arrived in Lisbon the
previous morning, disembarking from a cruise ship, where he’d
performed for two nights. His shirts would need washing and his suit
pressing before his next show. There was plenty of time.

He
gave the driver directions to his designated cruise terminal and
climbed onto the back seat. Thankfully, the air conditioning was
running. Though it was late October, the outside temperature remained
in the mid-eighties and it wasn’t even eleven o’clock. Last night
he had heard some of the hotel staff complain about the weather
turning cold, but for a boy like him, born and raised in the
northeast of England, these climates were well above average. Back
home, this would be a hot day in June or July.

It
was a short drive to the port. Early in the day, but the streets were
busy. Three massive cruise ships were anchored in the harbor,
discharging thousands of eager tourists into the city. British,
American, German, Japanese, they scurried through the streets,
clutching backpacks and maps, keen to explore as much as they could
of the historic Portuguese city in the few hours they had here.

Daniel
smiled at their faces as they zipped by.

Lisbon,
his last stop before home.

The
car arrived at the port and within ten minutes Daniel stood beside
the gangway with his luggage, waiting for the necessary security
calls to be made that would allow him to board the ship. The enormous
vessel towered above him, casting a huge shadow across the dock. The
Atlantic was one of
the biggest and most spectacular cruise ships in the world.

There
were a lot of criticisms for super ships such as this. He’d heard
them described as floating shopping malls, grotesque monstrosities
and budget hotels at sea, but for Daniel there was something quite
majestic about the craft and its design, to say nothing of the
engineering that went into the construction of such a huge vessel.

“Those
things are so top heavy,” a jobbing magician once had told him in a
bar. “I hear they roll right over in high seas.”

Daniel
had laughed at the man’s ignorance. “And when did you last hear
of that happening?”

The
man had floundered. “I’m just saying that something so uneven
can’t be safe, can it? You won’t ever catch me on one of them
things. Mug’s game, isn’t it?”

“It’s
your loss,” Daniel had told him cheerily. He felt safer at sea,
even in the roughest weather, than he ever had on a plane. Motorways
too. It might not be the quickest, but without a doubt it was the
most luxurious and extravagant way to travel. He loved being at sea.

Waiting
for the security guy to return with his passport, Daniel realized
he’d drawn some attention.

A
slow stream of passengers was returning to the ship. They couldn’t
have seen much of Lisbon, coming back already. Among them was an
English family. While the parents lit cigarettes before joining the
embarkation queue, the daughter, who looked around fourteen, stared
directly at him.

“Hi.”
He smiled. “Good day out?”

The
girl was plump and pretty with wavy brown hair that fell around her
shoulders. She wore a sweet, flowery sundress and red Converse shoes.
She blushed as she realized she’d been caught gawking.

“Are
you…? Oh, my God, you are, aren’t you? You’re Daniel Blake.”

He
raised his hands in mock surrender. “Guilty as charged. Don’t
shoot me.”

The
girl nervously stepped forward, looking at him with wide, hazel eyes.
“What are you doing here?”

“I’m
waiting to join the ship. I’m performing on board.”

Her
jaw fell. “The Anthem?
You’re coming on the Anthem?”

He
nodded. He didn’t mind being recognized like this. Daniel was
famous enough in the UK, but not so much that it ever became an
inconvenience. His fame came from a TV talent show. The public had
made him and he appreciated all the support he got.

Her
bemused parents stubbed out their cigarettes and came over. They were
an attractive-looking couple of around forty. The girl looked a lot
like her father.

“I
hope she’s not bothering you,” the dad said, looking cautiously
between Daniel and his daughter.

“Not
a bit,” Daniel assured him. “It’s a pleasure.”

“Daniel
is going to be singing on the ship. Can you believe it? How cool is
that?” She grinned a mile wide.

“Starting
tomorrow,” he said. “Make certain you get yourselves a great seat
down front. I can use all the support I can get.”

“I
will, I will. I voted for you every week on The
One. You were my favorite from the start.”

“So
it’s you I need to thank for winning. What’s your name, sweetie?”

“Julieann.”

“Well,
thank you, Julieann. Your votes changed my life.”

The
girl blushed violently.

The
security officer came back to escort Daniel onto the ship. Before
boarding, he posed for photographs with Julieann and her family.

“The
girls at school will have a fit when they see these on Instagram,”
Julieann said proudly as they took a selfie together.

“See
you at the shows,” Daniel said as he walked on board. “And don’t
forget—front row. Be there. I’ll look out for you.”

“We’ll
definitely be there.”

Once
on board, he passed his luggage through the security scanner and was
equipped with his sea pass ID, the plastic card that would enable him
to move around the ship, access his accommodation and run a tab in
the bars and shops. He was greeted on the far side of security by a
young woman in a blue shirt and khaki shorts. Her soft blonde hair
was tied back from her round, attractive face. She was vaguely
familiar from his engagement earlier in the season. He checked her
name badge to refresh his memory. Belle Hodges, entertainment crew,
from South Australia.

“Hi,”
Belle said cheerily. “It’s wonderful to have you back on board.”

She
extended her hand and he shook it. “It’s great to be back.
Honestly, I’ve been looking forward to this since I left in May.
How has your maiden season gone?”

“Over
too quickly and totally ace. I can’t believe it’s been that long
since you were here.

Yikes,
the time has flown. Let me give you a hand with your stuff.”

“That’s
okay. I can manage. Just point me in the right direction and I’ll
find my way.”

Ignoring
his protests, Belle took up the suit carrier.

“You’re
in real luck,” she said. “You’ve been allocated a large
stateroom on one of the passenger decks. Balcony and all.”

“You’re
joking? Wow. Am I sharing with the house band or a football team?”

Belle
giggled, wrinkling her nose. “Silly. You’ve got the whole place
to yourself.”

“Seriously?
What gives? I never get accommodation like that.”

Belle
looked around cautiously and lowered her voice. “We had a family
thrown off the ship in Gran Canaria so you’ve got their room. They
caused a fight in the martini bar and punched an officer who tried to
intervene. Captain Rassimov put them off at the next port. No second
chances.”

“Good
to know we’re in such firm hands.”

“Captain
Rassimov is the best,” Belle gushed.

Daniel
didn’t doubt it. He’d met the dashing captain on his last trip.
Tall, dark, handsome and extremely charismatic, he sent hearts
beating fast among the passengers and crew. If he wasn’t so
straight, Daniel would fancy him too. Rassimov was the perfect man to
master such a grand vessel.

Launched
in May, with a rumored cost of over one-point-five billion, the
Atlantic Anthem was
coming to the end of its inaugural European season. It was the newest
and biggest vessel in the Royal Atlantic fleet. Daniel had spent two
nights on board when he’d performed a headline set on the maiden
voyage. He’d worked for cruise companies all over the world, but he
couldn’t fail to be impressed by the Anthem.
It was billed as the ship with everything. From his own experience
that was certainly true.

As
he walked through the decks with Belle, his sense of excitement
increased. The interior was truly splendid. Not a penny had been
spared, from the lush carpets to the paintings and sculptures that
graced every deck. Before coming on board, he’d read all the
specs—about the spa and fitness center, two swimming pools and a
solarium, the Royal Theater with nine-hundred-sixty seats, the
bars—eight of them across the ship—the main dining room plus
three specialty restaurants and a twenty-four-hour café. Several
public entertainment areas were situated on Decks Four and Five
around a jaw-dropping central staircase. Knowing all of that in
advance, he still had been blown away when he’d came upon the ship
for the first time. And he felt it now, all over again.

Only
the most jaded, spoiled and hard-to-please traveler could fail to be
inspired by the Anthem.

They
rode one of the glass elevators to the tenth floor where Belle led
him down a long corridor to his stateroom in the forward section of
the ship.

“Last
time, I had an interior cabin in the crew quarters.” He laughed.

“Yep,
that’s where they like to cram us in. But now you’ve got this.”

Daniel
swiped his sea pass card to enter the room. A major step up from crew
class, the room was bright and contemporary, to the standard of any
good hotel. He had an enormous double bed all to himself and a
sitting area with a long, cream leather sofa. There was a dressing
table, minibar, TV, private bathroom and balcony.

“I
hope I don’t get lost in here,” he joked, dumping his luggage by
the wardrobe.

“As
long as you’re on stage for your shows tomorrow night, no one will
mind what you get up to in here,” Belle said.

“You
can put your mind at ease on that count,” he said. “I’ve been
performing since I was fourteen and I’ve never missed a show in my
life.”

Belle
left him to settle in. Daniel unpacked his clothes first and filled a
plastic bag with stuff that needed washing immediately—shirts,
socks and underwear. Another great thing about working on a luxury
cruise liner—everything was to hand. If he left the bag out today,
all the items would be washed, ironed and returned by tomorrow.

He
went into the bathroom next, laying out his razor, toothbrush and
skincare products. He brought everything with him when he traveled.
Though he wasn’t particularly vain, it was important to look good
in public.

He
didn’t have to worry. At twenty-nine years old—five months shy of
thirty—he was in prime condition. He’d never looked better. For
years he used to hate the way he looked. Everything about him had
been out of proportion, especially his face. Eyes, teeth, nose, chin,
they were always too big. But throughout his twenties, the rest of
his body had caught up. He’d filled out and gained muscle and his
face, which had seemed so awkward in his teens, had developed an
extraordinary handsomeness. He had a strong jaw with a cowboy cleft,
while his mouth was wide and masculine. With sky-blue eyes and thick
brown hair, he had become a good-looking man. Very good-looking.

His
confidence hadn’t grown to match his looks. A part of him would
always be that skinny, peculiar kid. But only he could see it.

Finally
unpacked, he relaxed and walked onto the balcony. He had a great view
of the city and the people below, streaming like ants around the port
terminals. Daniel took a moment to enjoy it all. He loved just about
every part of the cruise experience.

Every
ship, every voyage, was a new adventure.

The
Atlantic Anthem
promised a greater adventure than any other.

He
couldn’t wait to get started.

About
the Author

Thom
Collins is the author of the novel Closer by Morning, with
Pride Publishing. His love of page turning thrillers began at an
early age when his mother caught him reading the latest Jackie
Collins book and promptly confiscated it, sparking a life-long love
of raunchy novels.

The
novellas Gods of Vengeance and Silent Voices were
published by Pride in early 2017, followed by the novel Anthem of
the Sea, the first book in the Anthem Trilogy. He has recently
finished writing the second book in a series and is working on the
third.

Thom
has lived in the North East of England his whole life. He grew up in
Northumberland and now lives in County Durham with his husband and
two cats. He loves all kinds of genre fiction, especially
bonk-busters, thrillers, romance and horror. He is also a cookery
book addict with far too many titles cluttering his shelves. When not
writing he can be found in the kitchen trying out new recipes. He’s
a keen traveler but with a fear of flying that gets worse with age.
Since taking his first cruise in 2013 he realized that sailing is the
way to go.